Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study population.

From: Prognostic impact of corticosteroid and tocilizumab use following chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma

Characteristic

N = 101a

Median age (range) — yr

62 (37–79)

Median time from diagnosis (range) — yr

5.6 (1.0–23.6)

Sex — no. (%)

 Female

43 (43%)

 Male

58 (57%)

Race — no. (%)

 White

76 (75%)

 Black

15 (15%)

 Other/Unknown

10 (10%)

Performance status — no. (%)

 ECOG 0

36 (36%)

 ECOG 1

59 (58%)

 ECOG 2

6 (6%)

Multiple myeloma subtype — no. (%)

 IgG

61 (61%)

 IgA

22 (22%)

 LC only

14 (14%)

 Other/Unknown

4 (4%)

Predominant LC isotype — no. (%)

 Kappa LCs

57 (56%)

 Lambda LCs

44 (44%)

High-risk cytogeneticsb — no. (%)

51 (50%)

Extramedullary disease — no. (%)

49 (49%)

High tumor burdenc — no. (%)

31 (31%)

Triple-class refractoryd — no. (%)

84 (83%)

Median number of prior therapy lines (range) — no.

7 (2–20)

Objective response to last therapy line — no. (%)

 Yes (PR or better)

55 (54%)

 No (SD/PD only)

46 (46%)

Prior HDT/ASCT — no. (%)

98 (97%)

Prior BCMA-directed therapye — no. (%)

15 (15%)

Prior T-cell-redirecting therapyf — no. (%)

5 (5%)

Bridging therapyg — no. (%)

75 (75%)

Objective response to bridging regimen — no. (%)

 Yes (PR or better)

21 (21%)

 No (SD/PD only)

54 (53%)

 No bridging received

26 (26%)

Antigen targeted by CAR T-cell therapy — no. (%)

 BCMA

92 (91%)

 GPRC5D

9 (9%)

Classification of CAR T-cell product — no. (%)

 Investigational

54 (53%)

 Commercialh

47 (47%)

  1. BCMA B-cell maturation antigen, BsAb bispecific antibody, ECOG Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, HDT/ASCT high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant, Ig immunoglobulin, LC light chain, PD progressive disease, PR partial response, SD stable disease.
  2. aData pertains to the timepoint immediately before CAR T-cell infusion.
  3. bHigh-risk cytogenetics was characterized by the presence of at least one of the following cytogenetic abnormalities: t(4;14), t(14;16), and/or del(17p).
  4. cHigh tumor burden was characterized by the presence of ≥50% CD138-positive plasma cells in the last bone marrow biopsy performed before CAR T-cell infusion.
  5. dTriple-class refractory disease was characterized by failure to achieve at least a PR or disease progression within 60 days after the last dose of an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody.
  6. eIncluded either BCMA-directed BsAbs (e.g., teclistamab and elranatamab) or antibody-drug conjugates (e.g., belantamab mafodotin).
  7. fIncluded BsAbs targeting BCMA (e.g., teclistamab and elranatamab), GPRC5D (e.g., talquetamab), or FcRH5 (e.g., cevostamab).
  8. gBridging therapy was defined as any anti-myeloma regimen given after leukapheresis and before lymphodepleting chemotherapy (e.g., low-dose fludarabine and cyclophosphamide) to achieve disease control/debulking while waiting for CAR T-cell manufacturing.
  9. hCorresponds to all patients treated with commercially available products (including 7% of patients who received therapeutic doses of idecabtagene vicleucel or ciltacabtagene autoleucel as part of late-phase clinical trials).
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